CBAJ Programming News

SIMCHA KIDDUSH LUNCHEON
& Scholar-in-Residence on
Shabbat Vayetzei
12/7/2024
 
Share with us announcements
of a birthday or mark an anniversary,
 Announce an engagement, marriage, or a new baby 
Make known an achievement or express gratitude. 

The Kiddush Luncheon will be specially prepared by our Simcha Kiddush volunteers and co-sponsored
(at any level you'd like) by members of our community celebrating a special occasion. 

Join Us! 
To celebrate and welcome all of our new CBAJ Members
who have joined during the past year​​​​​​​ at the
November New Member Luncheon, Simcha Kiddush & Tot Shabbat

{{current_date}}

Dear {{first_name}},

We will be completing the CBAJ sukkah today (October 14) at 4:15pm. Please bring your stepladders, footstools, work gloves, and rain gear - it may still be a little wet out! We'll serve refreshments.

Our Youth Directors, Shajar and Shore Goldberg, will lead sukkah decoration at 4:15pm tomorrow (October 15). Kids of all ages (and the young at heart) are invited to join.

Thanks for your understanding and patience over the last 24 hours as we've monitored the forecast!

Elliot Chester

{{current_date}}

Dear {{first_name}},

We need volunteers to help finish building the CBAJ Sukkah this Sunday, 10/13 at 8:45 AM. We had a great turnout for building the frame two weeks ago, and can use any and all available hands. As before, please bring any ladders, stools, or work gloves you have handy. Refreshments will be provided.

Following the completion of the sukkah, our Youth Directors Shajar and Shore Goldberg will lead decoration at approximately 10:00 AM. Kids of all ages (and the young at heart) are invited to join.

Thank you ! 

 Message from the President 

Dear {{first_name}}, 

In Parshas Emor, we read of the commandments to observe the holidays we know as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. 

Rosh Hashanah is to take place on the 1st day of the 7th month; it is a day marked by Zichron Teruah, “a commemoration with horn blast, a sacred convocation.” This is a triumphant moment in our year - a time for remembering and celebrating what has preceded us. Yom Kippur, we learn, comes just 10 days later; it is a day on which we are commanded to atone and afflict ourselves.

What strikes me now in re-reading these commandments is that they are separated by the word “Akh” - which in Hebrew means something like “but”, “however”, or “yet”. Though Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur share multiple core characteristics as Yamim Tovim, they are presented as observances in tension with one another. On Rosh Hashanah, we are triumphant and proud; yet on Yom Kippur, we are penitent and anxious.

This juxtaposition of these days feels especially apt at CBAJ this year. 

We have much to celebrate - the long-awaited fruition of our kitchen upgrade and renovation project, a truly “lights out” Purim celebration, and a formal extension of Rabbi Ben and Miriam Kean’s time in Albany via a new contract for Rabbi Kean. That’s all on top of our customary excellent slate of Adult Ed, Youth, and general programming events that fill our calendar, and of course our daily, weekly, and holiday services that are always open and free to any and all who wish to attend.

Akh - But - We live in a moment in time when it is hard to feel too celebratory. It has been almost a full year since the Hamas attacks and murders of October 7, and still, we turn our eyes with trepidation on the events in Israel and the surrounding region. We have already been saying Psalm 130 twice daily, after our morning and evening services; from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, we add it during morning services as well, praying with all our might for peace and justice for Israel and for Jews everywhere.

Akh - Yet - Even in the midst of all that turmoil, there is still more work to be done in Albany. In the coming year, the board and I intend to place a special emphasis on connecting with our members, in ways both large and small. We plan to roll out an online shul Membership Directory that can be used for staying in touch; we want to update our website and social media pages to ensure that you (and the rest of the world!) can quickly and easily see what’s happening at the shul; and we are eager to explore new ideas for events and programs both on and beyond Shabbat and Yom Tov.

To help drive these efforts forward, I invite you to participate in this year’s CBAJ Chai Campaign. As ever, we strive for 100% participation in the campaign. If you have participated in the campaign in prior years, I ask that you consider increasing your contribution by 10% or 20% this year. The campaign is critical to helping us balance our budget each year, and every contribution matters tremendously.

To donate, you can use this link. Or you may call the office (Seanan: 518-489-5819 x 3) with your credit card, or mail a check to our office. 

I wish you and your family a Shana Tova Umetukah. May we continue to work together to build our community in a happy and healthy 5785.

Elliot Chester
President, Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob

 Message from the President

Dear CBAJ family, 
Enclosed, you will find our annual High Holiday newsletter. Besides the Rabbi’s message and schedule for the upcoming weeks of events at CBAJ (which I personally leave on my countertop for daily reference), you’ll find an outline of our events schedule for the coming year - everything from family events to Rabbi Kean’s fall lecture series and weekly learning opportunities. 

I’m grateful to be able to spend another High Holiday season in Albany, and you - congregants and members of the CBAJ family - are the biggest reason why. (Although I will confess I’m a little apprehensive about mid-October evenings in the Sukkah…)

On behalf of the CBAJ Board of Directors, I would like to wish you a
Shana Tovah Umetukah. I hope to see you at an event or service in the
very near future!

Sincerely, 
Elliot Chester
CBAJ President 

From the Rabbi's Desk

וּבְשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל יִתָּקַע וְקוֹל דְּמָמָה דַקָּה יִשָׁמַע  
וּמַלְאָכִים יֵחָפֵזוּן וְחִיל וּרְעָדָה יֹאחֵזוּן

"And with a great shofar it is sounded, and a thin silent voice shall be heard. And the angels shall be alarmed, and dread and fear shall seize them…"
 –Unetaneh Tokef

Dear CBAJ family,

          As the Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days) approach this year, and as the year 5784 comes to a close, I am overwhelmed and haunted by the question I have heard from the mouths of many in recent months: how would our tefilot (prayers) on last Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur been different if we knew what this past year would bring?

Sweetness Comes In All Forms

Apples and honey, traditions, & your legacy. 
For this Rosh Hashanah make a commitment that will be
a sweet reminder of who you are and what is important to you.

CBAJ would like to thank and honor our community members
who have already committed to leaving a legacy gift by joining our Legacy Society.
Please email office@cbaj.org  if you would like to be contacted
by CBAJ's Life & Legacy committee co-chairs Ellen Kaplowitz and Paula Mosher​​​​​​​

CBAJ ANNUAL SUKKAH BUILDING - PART 1 
Sunday, September 29th, 8:45 am

Calling all volunteers to help build the frame of our sukkah! 
Folks with stepstools, small ladders, and solid gloves
are encouraged to bring their own.
We'll provide bagels, pastries, coffee, and juice.

and then...

Why do Eruv Tavshilin?
Eruv Tavshilin allows you to cook on Friday of a 3 day Yom Tov for    Shabbat, even though normally, we do not cook on Yom Tov for the next day.
What supplies do I need?
One cooked dish, such as a hardboiled egg, and one baked dish, such a piece of matzah.
When do I do it?
Wednesday before the start of a "three day Yom Tov" in which Yom Tov leads into Shabbat.
See the Koren Siddur, page 759, for the full text of the blessing, declaration, and instructions. It may be said in Hebrew or any other language.

Shabbat Shuva Drasha by Rabbi Kean
Shabbat, October 5  Following 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Services (Approx. 11 am)

Thursday, October 24
Services & Dancing 5:40 PM
Pizza Dinner 8:00 PM

Friday, October 25 
Services & Dancing 9:00 AM
Annual Ungerman Family
Breakfast & Lunch 

Shabbat Mornings, Grades K - 5, beginning September 28
10:00 AM to the end of services
Meeting each day of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot!
Led by new CBAJ youth directors Shore & Shajar Goldberg.​​​​​​​

Mondays, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Open to anyone in grades 8 - 12
Dinner served each week.
Semester began Monday, Sept. 23. We are still accepting enrollment. ​​
Please RSVP to rabbi@cbaj.org ​​​​​​​  

SPECIAL dates: Rosh Hashanah 10/3 & Sukkot 10/17
This year, starting after Simchat Torah, Tot Shabbat will take place approximately every other Shabbat! Check weekly Shabbat notes for updates.
All sessions run 10:30 - 11:30 am 

Celebrate your Simcha with our special monthly Simcha Kiddush!
Schedule to be announced - Stay Tuned! 

Share your insights into one chapter of Tehilim (Psalms),
what it means to you, and what it can teach us!
Following Kiddush on winter Shabbats, begins Nov. 9
Contact Simma Kinderlehrer or Rabbi Kean to sign up

THURSDAYS Torah & Tea 9:30 - 10:30 AM on Zoom
Continuing to study II Kings
SATURDAYS Talmud Shiur - Learn Masechet Makkot
Daylight Saving Time: begins 1 hour before Shabbat afternoon Mincha
Standard Time: begins 1 hour before Shabbat ends
DAILY Nach Yomi Sunday at 7:30 AM, weekdays at 6:10 AM
Join us as we work through all of Nevi'im (Prophets) & Ketuvim (Writings) 
​​​​​​​

Save the date: Shabbat, November 16th 
Click here to Sponsor for this kiddush in honor of your Simcha

 Message from the President

Dear CBAJ family, 
Enclosed, you will find our annual High Holiday newsletter. Besides the Rabbi’s message and schedule for the upcoming weeks of events at CBAJ (which I personally leave on my countertop for daily reference), you’ll find an outline of our events schedule for the coming year - everything from family events to Rabbi Kean’s fall lecture series and weekly learning opportunities. 

I’m grateful to be able to spend another High Holiday season in Albany, and you - congregants and members of the CBAJ family - are the biggest reason why. (Although I will confess I’m a little apprehensive about mid-October evenings in the Sukkah…)

On behalf of the CBAJ Board of Directors, I would like to wish you a
Shana Tovah Umetukah. I hope to see you at an event or service in the
very near future!

Sincerely, 
Elliot Chester
CBAJ President 

From the Rabbi's Desk

וּבְשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל יִתָּקַע וְקוֹל דְּמָמָה דַקָּה יִשָׁמַע  
וּמַלְאָכִים יֵחָפֵזוּן וְחִיל וּרְעָדָה יֹאחֵזוּן

"And with a great shofar it is sounded, and a thin silent voice shall be heard. And the angels shall be alarmed, and dread and fear shall seize them…"
 –Unetaneh Tokef

Dear CBAJ family,

          As the Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days) approach this year, and as the year 5784 comes to a close, I am overwhelmed and haunted by the question I have heard from the mouths of many in recent months: how would our tefilot (prayers) on last Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur been different if we knew what this past year would bring?

Sweetness Comes In All Forms

Apples and honey, traditions, & your legacy. 
For this Rosh Hashanah make a commitment that will be
a sweet reminder of who you are and what is important to you.

CBAJ would like to thank and honor our community members
who have already committed to leaving a legacy gift by joining our Legacy Society.
Please email office@cbaj.org  if you would like to be contacted
by CBAJ's Life & Legacy committee co-chairs Ellen Kaplowitz and Paula Mosher​​​​​​​

CBAJ ANNUAL SUKKAH BUILDING - PART 1 
Sunday, September 29th, 8:45 am

Calling all volunteers to help build the frame of our sukkah! 
Folks with stepstools, small ladders, and solid gloves
are encouraged to bring their own.
We'll provide bagels, pastries, coffee, and juice.

and then...

Why do Eruv Tavshilin?
Eruv Tavshilin allows you to cook on Friday of a 3 day Yom Tov for    Shabbat, even though normally, we do not cook on Yom Tov for the next day.
What supplies do I need?
One cooked dish, such as a hardboiled egg, and one baked dish, such a piece of matzah.
When do I do it?
Wednesday before the start of a "three day Yom Tov" in which Yom Tov leads into Shabbat.
See the Koren Siddur, page 759, for the full text of the blessing, declaration, and instructions. It may be said in Hebrew or any other language.

Shabbat Shuva Drasha by Rabbi Kean
Shabbat, October 5  Following 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Services (Approx. 11 am)

Thursday, October 24
Services & Dancing 5:40 PM
Pizza Dinner 8:00 PM

Friday, October 25 
Services & Dancing 9:00 AM
Annual Ungerman Family
Breakfast & Lunch 

Shabbat Mornings, Grades K - 5, beginning September 28
10:00 AM to the end of services
Meeting each day of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot!
Led by new CBAJ youth directors Shore & Shajar Goldberg.​​​​​​​

Mondays, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Open to anyone in grades 8 - 12
Dinner served each week.
Semester began Monday, Sept. 23. We are still accepting enrollment. ​​
Please RSVP to rabbi@cbaj.org ​​​​​​​  

SPECIAL dates: Rosh Hashanah 10/3 & Sukkot 10/17
This year, starting after Simchat Torah, Tot Shabbat will take place approximately every other Shabbat! Check weekly Shabbat notes for updates.
All sessions run 10:30 - 11:30 am 

Celebrate your Simcha with our special monthly Simcha Kiddush!
Schedule to be announced - Stay Tuned! 

Share your insights into one chapter of Tehilim (Psalms),
what it means to you, and what it can teach us!
Following Kiddush on winter Shabbats, begins Nov. 9
Contact Simma Kinderlehrer or Rabbi Kean to sign up

THURSDAYS Torah & Tea 9:30 - 10:30 AM on Zoom
Continuing to study II Kings
SATURDAYS Talmud Shiur - Learn Masechet Makkot
Daylight Saving Time: begins 1 hour before Shabbat afternoon Mincha
Standard Time: begins 1 hour before Shabbat ends
DAILY Nach Yomi Sunday at 7:30 AM, weekdays at 6:10 AM
Join us as we work through all of Nevi'im (Prophets) & Ketuvim (Writings) 
​​​​​​​

Save the date: Shabbat, November 16th 
Click here to Sponsor for this kiddush in honor of your Simcha

ANNUAL SELICHOT CONCERT 

JOIN US FOR A FULL DAY OF CBAJ ACTIVITES
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH 

First...

CBAJ ANNUAL SUKKAH BUILDING - PART 1 
Sunday, September 29th, 8:45 am

Calling all volunteers to help build the frame of our sukkah! 
Folks with stepstools, small ladders, and solid gloves
are encouraged to bring their own.
We'll provide bagels, pastries, coffee, and juice.

and then...
​​​​​​​

Meet up with your CBAJ community at Indian Ladder Farms
at the pick-your-own area, weather permitting. 

 
​​​​​​​ Join us for the

May Simcha Kiddush & Tot Shabbat 
May 18, 2024
and 
Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat !

Celebrate a birthday or mark an anniversary.
Announce an engagement, marriage, or a new baby 
Make known an achievement or express gratitude

Sponsors are invited to submit their celebratory announcements by Thursday 5/16/2023

Join the CBAJ Tot Shabbat 
For children ages 0-5 and their parents
at 10:30 am in classroom 3

Dinner registration deadline is May 7

SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE SHABBAT
&
FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER 
MAY 17 - 18
CBAJ is excited to invite you to join us for our
Spring scholar-in-residence Shabbat with Dr. Sara Ronis.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS & TALKS 
Friday
7:00 PM CBAJ Friday night services
8:00-9:00 PM Shabbat dinner (by pre-registration only) 
9:00-9:45 PM The Demons in the Details: What are All Those Demons Doing in the Talmud?
The Babylonian Talmud is filled with stories about demons, and laws that regulate how humans and demons should interact.
But what are all those demons even doing in the Talmud? 
Together we'll examine how demons are constructed in the Talmud, and explore medieval and modern resistances to the presence of demons in Judaism. 

Saturday
9:00 AM Shabbat morning services
11:30-11:50 AM Living in the Center and On the Margins: The Complex World of Rabbinic Babylonia
[CW: Infertility]
The Babylonian rabbis who wrote the Talmud lived in a multireligious and multiethnic society in the Sasanian Empire.      But how did they think about that society? And how did others think about them?  

12:00-1:00 PM Simcha Kiddush Luncheon - open to all.

1:00-1:45 pm (approx.) Fetal Positions: The Talmudic Approach(es) to Personhood
Just like modern American politicians, the rabbis of late antique Babylonia thought a lot about fetuses. But the Babylonian rabbis    in Sasanian Babylonia explored not whether the fetus is considered a person, but more crucially, what kind(s) of person it is. Together, we'll explore some of the different ways that the Talmud answers this question in different legal contexts, and draw some surprising conclusions about how the Talmud thinks about fetal personhood. 

6:50-7:50 PM Talmud Class (presented by Dr. Ronis) Yalta in the Talmud
One of the few named women in the Talmud, Yalta was the wife of Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak and a powerhouse in her own right, known for her brilliance, power, and strong personality. Join us to learn more about Yalta's remarkable life as conveyed through Talmudic texts.

7:50 PM Mincha
Followed by Seudah Shlishit
8:55 PM Maariv

For those new to CBAJ, once a month,
the Kiddush will be specially prepared by our
Simcha Kiddush Committee & co-sponsored
(at any level you'd like) by members of our community celebrating a special occasion that month.

Please email office@cbaj.org if you are interested in joining the Simcha Kiddush Committee 

Simcha Kiddush & Tot Shabbat 
April 13, 2024

Celebrate a birthday or mark an anniversary.
Announce an engagement, marriage, or a new baby 
Make known an achievement or express gratitude

Sponsors are invited to submit their celebratory announcements by Thursday 4/11/2023

Click here to complete the online form
or email pledge to  office@cbaj.org

Join the CBAJ Tot Shabbat 
For children ages 0-5 and their parents
at 10:30 am in classroom 3


For those new to CBAJ, once a month,
the Kiddush will be specially prepared by our
Simcha Kiddush Committee & co-sponsored
(at any level you'd like) by members of our community celebrating a special occasion that month.

Please email office@cbaj.org  if you are interested in joining the Simcha Kiddush Committee 

March Simcha Kiddush & Tot Shabbat 
March 16, 2024

Celebrate a birthday or mark an anniversary.
Announce an engagement, marriage, or a new baby 
Make known an achievement or express gratitude

Sponsors are invited to submit their celebratory announcements by Thursday 3/14/2023

Click here to complete the online form
or email pledge to  office@cbaj.org

Join the CBAJ Tot Shabbat 
For children ages 0-5 and their parents
at 10:30 am in classroom 3

The submissions for the CBAJ Life & Legacy
Art Contest : "What I love About Beth Abe"
will be on display 


For those new to CBAJ, once a month,
the Kiddush will be specially prepared by our
Simcha Kiddush Committee & co-sponsored
(at any level you'd like) by members of our community celebrating a special occasion that month.

Please email events@cbaj.org  if you are interested in joining the Simcha Kiddush Committee 

Please email office@cbaj.org
if your child plans to submit
a piece of art for the Life & Legacy Art Contest 
​​​​​​​
We want to be sure all submission are received in time to be displayed at the March 16th
Life & Legacy Simcha Kiddush 

Calling all budding artists!

The CBAJ Life & Legacy Committee and our CBAJ Youth directors invite all CBAJ children, between the ages of 3 - 18 years, to participate in an art contest with the theme: 

 "What I Love About Beth Abe..."  

All eligible CBAJ kids can create something meaningful to them,
based on the theme "What I love about CBAJ". Please contact office@cbaj.org or one of the event coordinators listed below if your child plans to submit a piece of art. 

Express yourself using any medium or format - either a piece of art or even a poem!  Create a drawing, a painting or use a variety of materials.  

Award winning art pieces will be presented, along with all submissions, 
at our very special

Life & Legacy Simcha Kiddush
March 16

 Show us your artistic talents and celebrate Life & Legacy.
​​​​​​​Our Children are indeed our future !!! 

Any additional questions can be directed to 
Daniela Mikhaylova 518.577.0625
& 
Life & Legacy Committee chairs 
Ellen Kaplowitz 518.772.9706
Paula Mosher 518.724.9163

December Simcha Kiddush & Tot Shabbat 
12/23/2203 (new date) 

Celebrate a birthday or mark an anniversary.
Announce an engagement, marriage, or a new baby 
Make known an achievement or express gratitude

Sponsors are invited to submit their celebratory announcements by next Thursday 12/21/2023

Click here to complete the online form
or email office@cbaj.org

Join the CBAJ Tot Shabbat 
For children ages 0-5 and their parents
at 10:30 am in classroom 3


For those new to CBAJ, once a month,
the Kiddush will be specially prepared by our
Simcha Kiddush Committee & co-sponsored
(at any level you'd like) by members of our community celebrating a special occasion that month.

Please email events@cbaj.org  if you are interested in joining the Simcha Kiddush Committee 

December Simcha Kiddush & Tot Shabbat 
12/23/2203 (new date) 

Celebrate a birthday or mark an anniversary.
Announce an engagement, marriage, or a new baby 
Make known an achievement or express gratitude

Sponsors are invited to submit their celebratory announcements by next Thursday 12/21/2023

Click here to complete the online form
or email office@cbaj.org

Join the CBAJ Tot Shabbat 
For children ages 0-5 and their parents
at 10:30 am in classroom 3


For those new to CBAJ, once a month,
the Kiddush will be specially prepared by our
Simcha Kiddush Committee & co-sponsored
(at any level you'd like) by members of our community celebrating a special occasion that month.

Please email events@cbaj.org  if you are interested in joining the Simcha Kiddush Committee 

We are excited to announce
our next Scholar-in Residence
November 10 - 11   Parshat Chayei Sarah

Rabbi Moshe Kurtz will join CBAJ for
​​​​​​​ special lectures and to discuss his new book.
Rabbi Kurtz uses the lens of halacha (Jewish law) to explore contemporary issues.

To start things off CBAJ will host a Friday Night Dinner

​​​​​​​PLEASE REGISTER HERE  
(prior registration required to attend - deadline Tues. 11/7, 9:00 am)
We are still looking for a few more sponsors!

Schedule of events 
Friday Night Dinner 
5:30 pm

Lecture & Discussion
6:30 pm (following dinner)

Shabbat morning lecture & discussion:
Harmful Speech, Sensitivity, and "Political Correctness"
following morning services 

Simcha Kiddush
following Shabbat morning lecture

Shabbat Afternoon Shiur (in lieu of weekly Talmud Class)
Is it ever 'Too Hot' for Halachah? Exploring the Concepts of איסטניס and מצטער.
4:30-5:30 pm (followed by Maariv)

Dessert Reception, book signing, and discussion
Saturday evening  7:00 pm 

about Rabbi Moshe Kurtz

Rabbi Kurtz is the assistant rabbi of Congregation Agudath Sholom 
in Stamford, CT, where he lives with his wife, Marisa, and their beloved daughter, Talya. 

Rabbi Kurtz lectures on a range of contemporary issues, including political correctness, nationalism, and gender identity, through the halachic lens. His writings have appeared in forums such as The Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society (“RJJ Journal”),
 Panim Journal, Tradition, The Lehrhaus, and Torah Musings.

He recently published his first sefer, Challenging Assumptions
(Mosaica Press, 2023).